A Tour Of Stephen Kings Maine

The modern horror master, Stephen King, calls Maine home. His books were scary as much for their inventiveness as their exploration of the rhythms and ruins of civilization, as staged in Maine’s small towns. Modern travelers through this landscape will discover small towns with old memories; revitalized cities, and echoes of their favorite moments in King’s books. From It to Salem’s Lot, we take you through Maine from the eyes of its best-known writer.

Let’s kick off in Orrington, Maine, the inspiration for the book King considers his scariest, Pet Sematary. Just outside the northern college town Bangor, Orrington (pop. 4,000) was home to an actual cemetery near to his rented family home where, over the years, families came to bury their dead pets. The house used for the film, however, is hours away in Hancock, but both look alike. After his daughter’s cat was hit by a car, King discovered a cemetery where the neighborhood children buried animals killed on the road, and the rest is history. Interestingly, King believed the book too dark to be published, and was surprised by the resonance it had with readers.

Nearby Bangor, King’s home, is the inspiration for a town that needs no introduction to his legions of fans: Derry. Visitors can view his home (which looks haunted, and is complete with gargoyles and a metal gate with bats) and see the many local landmarks which inspired his tales: the Barrens, where the Losers Club plotted to defeat Pennywise in It; Thomas Hill Standpipe, where we first meet the antagonist of It; Mount Hope cemetery, a short drive from Bangor, where Pet Sematary was filmed; and R.M Flagg, the name for King’s incarnate of evil who appears in several of his books, Randall Flagg. North and east to Flaggstaff lake finds you at the nearest thing to the fictional Dark Score Lake, the setting of the novel and TV series Bag of Bones.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYx2GQWHYsg/?tagged=thebarrens

Further south in Cumberland County, Bridgton is descended upon by blanketing mist in—you guessed it—The Mist,and again serves as inspiration for King in Under the Dome, a story about life when a giant, indestructible dome falls on your town, cutting it off from the world. Bridgton (that’s Chester Mill to King fans) has a year-round population of 5,200 and is often visited by the author.

King’s Maine is constantly growing with his books (Salem’s Lot took place in a town near Durham, where King grew up), folding towns into new stories. Want to really know King’s Maine? The best thing to do is hit the road and see it.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.